Filipino tourists who would want to visit Taiwan will continue to experience visa-free entry for another year, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Tuesday, in line with efforts to promote its New Southbound Policy (NSP).

"After evaluating the effectiveness of the above measures over the past years, participating agencies decided to extend the trial visa-free entry program for one year for nationals of Thailand, Brunei, and the Philippines from 1 August 2024 to 31 July 2025," the MOFA said.

This was after MOFA convened a meeting on 12 April with relevant government agencies on further improving visa measures for nationals of NSP partner countries traveling to Taiwan.

The meeting conducted a comprehensive review of existing visa and entry measures, focusing on the trial visa-free entry program for nationals of Thailand, Brunei, and the Philippines; the Project for Simplifying Visa Regulations for High-end Group Tourists from Southeast Asian Countries; and conditional visa-free entry through the Online Application for R.O.C. (Taiwan) Travel Authorization Certificate scheme for nationals of Southeast Asian countries.

In addition, the Project for Simplifying Visa Regulations for High-end Group Tourists from Southeast Asian Countries will be extended for a further year through 31 December 2025, and the conditional visa-free entry through the TAC scheme will remain in place.

"MOFA will continue to review and fine-tune visa policies, to strengthen bilateral exchanges and attract more visitors while ensuring border and public security. MOFA will also continue to communicate with the governments of related countries to enhance visa treatment for Taiwanese nationals and make their overseas travel more convenient," the MOFA announcement further said.

Last April in a forum in Boracay, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines Representative Wallace Mina Gan Chow suggested that the Philippine government reciprocate Taiwan’s visa-free entry scheme to provide Taiwanese the same favor in entering Philippine soil.

He said TECO is asking the Philippines to provide visa-free entry to Taiwanese nationals entering the Philippines for at least two weeks.

"If the Philippine government can give a visa waiver for two weeks, the number of Taiwanese tourists going to the Philippines will be much more," he said in a DAILY TRIBUNE interview.